


Trust in Me

by Asexual_Enjolras



Category: Ghosts (TV 2019)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Asexual Captain, Asexual Character, Asexual Relationship, Canon Compliant, Comfort, Friends to Lovers, Ghosts, Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Internalized Homophobia, Love, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Past Lives, Past Relationship(s), Platonic Male/Male Relationships, Platonic Relationships, Platonic Soulmates, Self-Acceptance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:48:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27320728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Asexual_Enjolras/pseuds/Asexual_Enjolras
Summary: The Ghosts of 'Button House' have always suspected that the Captain was not always telling them everything, but they never had the strength to bring it up. One day, Alison accidentally lets slip that the Captain may be homosexual, which invites Lady Fanny Button to argue against such an "abomination" amongst humanity.Having overheard, and after being defended by two of his friends, the Captain confronts his feelings after bottling them up for decades and learns, slowly and with the help of Pat, to accept himself.Admissions slowly but surely lead to further admissions of affection.
Relationships: Alison/Mike (Ghosts TV 2019), The Captain/Lieutenant Havers (Ghosts TV 2019), The Captain/Pat (Ghosts TV 2019)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 68





	Trust in Me

***

"Absolutely outrageous." Fanny said, her tone exasperated as her mouth widened in disbelief. "There is absolutely no way that the Captain is - that way." She blinked. "I do not think he has ever had affection for anybody."

Cap grunted, looking down at his feet with a flutter in his chest. He had never in his life - or his death, up to this moment - been forced to face up to his feelings before and he didn't intend to today.

"No, really, I heard him speaking of a Lieutenant he once knew." Alison said, her excitement catching in her chest. She had always been interested in what the ghosts had to say, but she loved to hear their stories regarding their lives. "He did say his name but - well, my memory isn't the best." She said.

"He?" Fanny's mouth fell agape as she met Alison's gaze, who's own eyes had narrowed as her mouth formed into a grin.

"Oh, come on, you can't tell me you didn't know." Alison was astounded at their ignorance of her personal friends. She studied the expressions of Thomas, Pat and Fanny the most - who all stood with a face of utter disbelief and confusion. "Oh." She cursed herself internally, her voice breaking as she averted her gaze from them.

"I do not understand." Kitty stated.

"Um - it's nothing. Kitty. It's nothing." Alison said. "Pretend I didn't say anything. Forget I said that."

"It was not legal in his day." Thomas said, jumping in in his usual dramatic tone - his mouth agape. "I do not think that the Captain would - break a rule. I do not think it is in his blood." He sniggered, turning towards Alison with a glimmer in his eyes, showing she was smiling too.

"DNA." Julian mouthed.

"What?" Thomas frowned, turning to him once seeing that Alison was not laughing with him.

"DNA, it's not in his DNA." The politician repeated himself, making Thomas shake his head in confusion.

"You speak in nothing but rhyme, I swear." He bit back.

"More so than you do." Julian muttered under his breath. Mary's hand reached for her mouth as she sniggered as his joke. 

"You do be funny." She sniggered.

Alison was growing more uncomfortable, her eyes scanning the room to assess whether or not the Captain was in the room. She hated to think that she could have just 'outed' him. She'd never want to do that to anyone, dead or not.

"Guys. I don't think it's fair to be speculating like this." Pat said. He rose from his seat and folded his arms. "The Captain is our friend, and I don't quite think that he deserves such slander behind his back." Pat's usual smile and optimism had faded, and he looked more serious than Alison had ever seen him be.

"And why do you care?" Fanny quizzed, her eyes narrowing at the small man in front of her.

"I don't." He shook his head, biting his lip. "Not at all." He corrected his glasses.

"Good." She folded her arms. "Because if Alison is correct, then we must hold an intervention."

From behind the door, the Captain's nose scrunched up. For the first time in his life - or death - he could feel his heart beating frantically in his chest. He ran his hand through his grey hair, he held his feelings inside. He always had. He was not about to break now. He had made a pact with himself a long time ago to never allow anyone to see his weaknesses. And the Cap had one major weakness. 

His heart.

He sighed, holding his hand across his mouth and bit his tongue, listening to the people that he called friends discuss his biggest secret without him.

"I don't quite understand." Julian muttered. "What's wrong with man on man?"

"It is inhumane." Fanny held her head away from the group of ghosts, her nose turning up at the mere thought of it. "That sort of behaviour turns men into monsters." She said.

"Your one negative experience doesn't tarnish every man, though, Fanny." Alison tried to say. She had caused this, she had to fix it. She was just glad that the Captain wasn't present to hear all of this. That would kill her, she was sure of it.

"You are no Button if you believe that." Fanny said. "A man should love a woman. A man should love his wife."

"Times have changed, though, Fanny." Pat said. "And I see nothing wrong with it." He shuffled in his stance.

"It is a despicable thing." She growled. "And if the Captain is that way then she should simply stop being so."

The Captain felt that deep in his chest, his mind racing. He took a deep breath and took a step forward into the room, folding his arms.

"It is a despicable act, yes." He said, his chin lifted and his mouth straight.

Pat watched as the Captain's body began to shake, something of which he had never witnessed before. In the years that he had known the Captain, he had suspected that he was - gay - but he had never wanted to bring it up because it was not something that should be brought up to someone if they are not comfortable discussing it. If the Captain had wanted them to know then he would have told them. That was the attitude that Patrick had always taken with his Scouts. He never forced them to tell him anything, and he was always gentle around sensitive topics.

The Captain didn't owe anyone an explanation.

"You are quite correct, Fanny." He said, clearing his throat again.

"No, Captain, she isn't." Alison stepped forward, her eyes softening. "Times have changed a lot since you have all been - gone. Even since Julian's day. Homosexuality is legal today, it's not seen as an illness or as a sick, or twisted thing. You're not a bad person, Cap."

"No, you are quite correct. It is a bloody disgrace. I will be damned if you think of me that way." He said.

"People can even get married today. It's nothing to be ashamed of." Alison sighed, her eyebrows furrowed. She was desperate to make him see.

"Excuse me." The Captain said.

"Hm." Fanny said, turning her nose up again.

"You had no right." Pat turned to her, his voice breaking. "You had no right to make him feel so worthless."

"Pat-" Thomas frowned, trying to hold him back.

"No, Thomas, I will not stand for it. You're the despicable one, Fanny. You don't make people feel the way you just made the Captain feel."

"I'll go and see if he's okay-" Alison said. "This is all my fault."

"This is not your fault, Alison, not at all."

"Oh, piss off, Thomas!" Pat burst. "She doesn't love you, mate."

"I will let that pass because you are angry at Fanny." 

"I did nothing wrong." 

"I will see if he is okay." Pat stormed out, his own heart aching and breaking at the thought of Cap being hurt.

***

"Do you - do you want to talk about it?" Pat asked, his voice softening as he knocked on the door of the room. The Captain, whose eyes were fixed on the place where he had last laid his eyes on Lieutenant Havers before he had left. "I mean - if you want to, of course." He muttered below his breath.

"Of course." He responded, his eyes not leaving the spot.

Pat dawdled into the room, standing beside the Captain and staring out of the window. He assessed, from the corner of his eye, the stance that the Captain had adopted and felt that he had never seen the man look so down before. He was usually a proud man, whose chest would be puffed out and his posture would never fail to impress Patrick.

He looked up to him. He was inspired by his commitment to his infantry and to his country.

The Captain's attitude was the attitude that Pat had always wanted to instill into his Scouts, but had never quite managed. He had always wanted them to share the passion for their team that the Captain shared for his army and duty. But today, after hearing what he did, Cap looked broken.

"What Fanny said was uncalled for." He said, his tone sensitive. "And you are not a despicable person for feeling the way you do."

"I frightfully think you may have got the wrong idea." The Captain lifted his chin up, his expression plain. He folded his arms, his head bowing slightly as Pat turned away from him with a nod. 

"Actually, no mate, I don't think I have got the wrong idea. Not this time." Pat turned back to him. "Sir."

"Oh, Patrick, you do not have to call me 'Sir'. You are not in the Infantry."

"I could have been, though." He laughed. The Captain looked at him with a small smile, but cleared his throat and straightened his collar. "I mean - I do have all of the weapons knowledge." He said. "Perhaps I could have been a - marksman."

"Yes, perhaps." The Captain thanked the spirits for the change of subject, swallowing hard to get rid of the lump that had formed harshly in his throat. He turned towards the smaller man, smiling at Pat. 

"I really think that you should talk about it." He said. "If you want, I mean. Of course." He cleared his throat. "And it wouldn't have to be with me. You can speak to anyone about this. Thomas would listen." The Captain raised an eyebrow. "Right - yes - good point. Julian then-"

"Patrick." The Captain sighed, sitting down and putting his head in his hands. "You really have got the wrong idea. You have, I am afraid, shot at the wrong target."

Pat's eyes trailed down to his neck, straining his eyes.

"I did not mean that."

"Right." Pat nodded.

"No, I really ought to apologise. I did not mean that. I concur, I am aware that I am - not the best person to be around." He cleared his throat. "At times."

Pat nodded. He couldn't disagree with something that resonated with him so deeply. Cap was difficult to be around. He was grouchy, rude and arrogant. But - Pat knew he had the best intentions.

"Yes, but Cap, we would not be able to cope without you here. You are like a glue that holds Button House together. I don't think we could cope without you here. You keep us in order." Pat smiled, placing a friendly hand on his shoulder, which made the older man flinch. "You are always trying to make sure that we are all honest and open about things, aren't you?" He placed a hand on the Captain's shoulder, making the other man flinch slightly. He looked down to him, nodding. "Well, I think it might be your turn." 

The Captain had learned, over the decades that he had known Pat, to allow the smaller man to speak when he needed to because he would not stop trying until he had said his peace. He reckoned it was something to do with the fact that he taught children in life, he always knew the right way to say things.

"I am quite alright, thank you."

"No." Patrick had never disobeyed the Captain before. Of all the ghosts at Button House, he was the one that listened the most, rather. He respected the Captain like nobody else in the house did. He understood authority, and he knew that the Captain always had their best interests at heart. In fact, Pat knew that the Captain - lest than anyone - always put himself last. He didn't fight for himself, he fought for his country. The Captain was the one that was least fond of the introduction of Mike and Alison, and yet, he was the one that insisted they stay because his fiends had wanted them to.

He hated the noise that they made, the mess they left and the stress that they caused but he never argued against their presence because he understood that his fellow ghosts were fond of them being there. He had, though he would never admit it to another living - or dead - soul, grown to like their presence around the house. He could no longer live a life - or death - in that house without Alison's quirks. 

"You are not alright." Pat said. "It is good to talk, you know? It can help."

"You do not want to hear my boring voice or stories. I am quite alright, thank you."

"I like you, Cap. And I want to be there for you." He said. "I can help."

"It can, Patrick, but that does not necessarily mean that it will." He said. "Talking got Churchill nowhere, as you well know. Treaties and talking things over may sound well and good, Patrick, but it is old fashioned will that gets countries through wars."

"But you are not at war, Cap."

"How very dare you-" 

"Captain." Pat said. "The war ended a long time ago." He said. "Times have, thankfully, moved on."

The Captain felt his spine deflate slightly, his eyes fixed on the floorboards below his polished boots. He stood still, his voice softening. He had never been able to imagine a world without his war, or his systems and he wasn't planning on doing so now. But he did take in the words that the Scout leader spoke.

Pat was rocking in his stance, his arms tangled behind his back as he studied the expression on the Captain's face.

The soldier swallowed. He, of course, knew the war was over. He had seen the newspaper coverage of the day that Hitler had surrendered, and he had seen - subsequently - the paper in which 'Victory' for the Allies was celebrated, but for the Captain the war was never over. His own personal war could never be over. Because how do you win against yourself?

He frowned, feeling his stomach churn from beneath him.

The pair of them fell silent. Completely. Even their breaths were inaudible as they stared out of the window.

"Right - I - I think it is time to drop the bomb." The Captain broke the silence after almost 30 minutes, unfolding his arms.

"Excuse me?" Pat frowned.

"Lay the egg - drop the bombshell? Is that what the youth says these days?" He grew flustered, blushing.

Pat felt the Cap's embarrassment radiating from him as he straightened his tie. He grinned, looking into his eyes. He ran his fingers through his hair, nodding as he smiled.

"Only if you are ready."

"I believe I am." The Cap closed his eyes.

"Okay." Pat rubbed his hands, standing on his tip toes with anticipation. He bit his lip, grinning. Cap took a deep breath, his eyes welling up.

"The war is over." He said. Pat felt his body collapse, his posture falling. The Captain's eyes scanned the room, his eyebrows raising and his chin raising. "Yes. That felt quite good, actually." He let out a breath. "Thank you, Patrick."

"That - that wasn't quite what I meant, Cap."

Pat felt his eyebrows meet in the middle, raising them as he ran his hand through his hair. He shook his head, kicking the soldier in his mind.

"Yes. The war is over." He repeated, feeling his shoulders relieve of the stress and pressure he had been carrying around a little. He was bouncing slightly on his feet, his eyes glittering.

The smaller man let out a sigh, shrieking.

"Cap - you're gay." Pat screeched, his voice reaching a pitch he had never quite reached before. He threw his arms up, holding them out as he threw his point out there for the Captain to hear.

"Excuse me?" The Captain felt his heart sink, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the Scout leader.

"Right - um - mate. It wasn't meant to come out quite like that." He said, flushing red. He felt terrible. That was no way for anything to come out, let alone something as raw or personal as that. He hated himself for being such an idiot. "Sorry."

"I - I do not know what you mean." The Captain stammered, his chest aching beneath him. Although he was dead, he could feel every emotion that he had been suppressing bubbling over like a kettle. And it hurt. It stung. He felt sick, clutching his stomach as he raced towards the window for some fresh air. "You are mistaken." He said, swallowing the ghostly vomit that was forming in his throat. "Very much mistaken, Patrick." He reiterated.

"That wasn't quite how I'd planned for it to come out, Cap, but we live and - and we learn." He said. "I didn't meant to offend you. Not in a million years would I want to do that because I - like you too much for that. I really like you." 

"I think you will find that we do not - we do not live." The Cap attempted to make a joke, but found himself unable to smile.

The pair of them fell silent, the Captain's eyes closing as he looked out of the window. He rubbed his stomach, trying to suppress the urge to either throw up or cry. In his life, the Captain had found himself crying many a time. He had never cried in front of someone before, but he had certainly had his fair share of tears in private.

"I rather do not think this is an appropriate topic, Patrick."

His voice was breaking, and his eyes were avoiding all contact with the smaller ghost. His usual upright stance was gone, and he had sucken into a decanted version of himself.

"Actually - Cap - I think that it may be." Pat said. "Because I think you have suppressed how you really feel your entire life and that - that is no life for anybody. Or - or death, actually."

The Cap felt his chest ache, his hand shaking. Although the war was long over, the feelings had returned. Only worse.

"I know it is difficult." Pat said, his voice smaller than it was before. The Captain turned to him.

"How do you know?" He asked.

"Because - because I feel it too. I feel that shame. Felt that shame. I don't anymore. I can't help who I am. That's just who I am but - I was there once." Pat admitted, quietly. The Captain fell silent, his eyes welling. "I - I like men too."

"You do?" The Captain lifted his head, having no energy to hide his feelings anymore. Pat nodded.

"I always have." He shrugged. "Even when I was with Carol. I had a small thing for my best friend." He said. "I suppose that's why I was okay with Carol and he marrying."

"Slightly strange, Patrick." The Cap nodded his head, smiling a little.

"Yes - I thought so too but - I can't help who I am attracted to." He grinned. "And - neither can you, Cap."

It fell silent again. Pat felt himself rocking in his stance, kicking himself internally for saying what he had. The Captain didn't care that he was bisexual. Heck, he wouldn't even know what that word meant if he was to say it.

"His name was Havers." The Captain said. "The man I loved."

Pat's head spun around, unable to comprehend the fact that the Captain was opening up to him. He had known him quite some time, but he had never quite found anything out about him. He didn't know a single private detail about the man - not even how he had died.

"He was my lieutenant."

"What happened?"

"He left me." He scrunched his nose up, his expression plain. "Havers was the best soldier I had ever had the pleasure of working with. And he left me."

Pat looked down at his feet.

"So there, now you know. You can go and tell the others so that they can taint and taunt me."

"Thank you for trusting me." Pat said. "I'm not going to tell the others."

"Oh, it is no trouble." The Captain caught eye contact with Pat and instantly dropped it back to the ground.

"I - I understand what you're going through." He said. "The others might not but - I do, okay?" He smiled. "And I am always here for you. Both figuratively and literally, considering we can't leave."

The Captain felt his heart dance at his friend's joke, smiling. He placed a hand on his shoulder, taking in his familiar scent.

"What is it about my person that makes me so unlikeable?"

It came out of nowhere, and it stung Pat's chest. He felt his eyes welling up, his throat drying.

"I don't know what you mean, Cap."

"I think you do."

"Well - people just think you're a little - tedious to be around because of your obsession with the war. And you're incapable of moving on from that, and you can be a little - only a little, mind, - controlling at times, mate. And - well, I think that it can be very tiresome when you suppress your feelings and push us all away." Pat didn't intend for everything to come out, and he attempted to hold it in but he was struggling. "And I think that your ego is slightly a little too large, and you don't tend to trust people - which hurts a little, actually."

The Captain's eyes narrowed, his eyebrows lowering. When he had asked, he hadn't intended such an extensive list - if he was going to be completely honest.

"Right - um - I am going to go and - um - yes." He stammered, his chest hurting.

"I - I didn't mean any of that stuff negatively." He tried.

"No, it is quite alright. I understand." He didn't smile, his face remaining neutral. Deep inside, the man's chest was aching. "I - I will see you later." He raced out of the room.

"Yes - me too." Pat shuffled. The Captain gave him a small nod before rushing out of the room, his back straight.

***

Pat's feet were hanging over the staircase, his mind wandering as he watched Alison and Kitty "play" dress up. He took in a deep breath, grinning as he studied Kitty's smile.

"Oh - Patrick." The Captain stumbled into him, feeling his cheeks burning. He swallowed, hard. The smaller man pushed his glasses back to where they should be.

"Captain." Pat stood up. "Are you alright?"

"Quite well, thank you." He chewed his tongue.

"Good." Pat smiled, his gaze falling away from the soldier out of an awkward and uncomfortable feeling in his gut.

"Actually - I - would it be possible to converse with you?" He asked, his voice soft. Pat nodded, simply. "Right - um - my room?"

"Yes." Pat nodded.

Pat had never been into the Captain's bedroom before. Nobody had been allowed to enter his quarters before, or they'd receive a strongly worded lecture about privacy and respecting other people's need for it.

The room was just the same as the other rooms in the house. It was plain, old-fashioned and out-dated because Alison and Mike had not yet got round to decorating it, mostly because the Cap had refused to allow them to "change" his room.

"I wanted to speak with you." The Captain said, making Pat's stomach turn slightly.

"What about, Sir?"

"Mostly about your usage of the term 'Sir' when speaking with me, rather."

"Ah."

"You do not have to speak to me in such a manner." He said. "And I - I wanted to tell you that you were correct about me." 

"I wasn't - I really wasn't thinking." Pat tried to explain himself. "I don't think those things of you. I could never. I love yo-"  
The Captain watched as the words diminished from his mouth, not quite coming out the way that Pat had intended. He stopped him from continuing, unable to listen to those words. 

Pat hadn't been thinking. He hadn't meant to hurt the Captain, not at all. That was the least of the things he had meant to do. Unlike the others, the Cap didn't frustrate Pat. He understood him. But he also didn't want to admit his love for him. It was already a stressful day, and throwing something that big on him would not help the situation.

Pat had always loved the Captain - since the first time they spoke. He had never felt for anyone the way he did for him. Not even for Carol. The Captain was fresh, and he knew who he was. He may get on Pat's nerves but he adored him. He was a strong willed, inspiring, trustworthy and loyal soldier and friend. And Pat loved him.

"I am in denial about the War. And I am a tough person to be around." The Captain admitted, blurting it out, his tone serious and honest. "However, I need you to know that I do trust you, Patrick."

Pat's spine shivered, his eyes meeting the Captain's.

"More so than anybody else in this world, Patrick." He said, simply. His tone was no longer in its usual monotone manner, it was kind and serious.

"I - I don't know what to say, Sir."

"Please - do not call me 'Sir'." He pleaded, again.

"Right - yeah - sorry, Si - sorry." Pat nodded, blushing.

"Please, Patrick. We are equals." He smiled.

"Well, I think that this thing would disagree." Pat laughed, pointing at the Captain's right epaulette, who - in turn - smiled too and pulled the epaulettes from his shoulders.

At first, the epaulette vanished. But then it showed up back on his shoulder.

"I don't think you can get rid of the things you died with, to be fair." Pat said. "I've tried." He said, pointing at his arrow.

"Of course." He grinned.

"Cap - why are you telling me all of this?"

"Because - I am not sure."

"You can tell me." Pat's stance relaxed, his hand stroking the Captain's shoulder.

"I like you." He said. "I trust you." He closed his eyes. "And I think I need a hug." The Captain's voice cracked.

Pat felt his body relax. He took a step forward towards the veteran, closing the gap between them and threw his arms around the man.

The Captain, at first, flinched away from the smaller man's touch but then he melted into it. He had never touched another person intimately before. He had never wanted to, and he had always hated human touch. But there was something comforting about the feel of Pat's arms around his waist.

"Do you think that there is something here?" Pat asked, without thinking.

"What?"

"Oh - pretend I didn't say that."

"No - I - I think yes." Cap blinked. "I - I like you, Patrick." 

"Awh." Alison clapped.

Alison's eyes were glistening as she watched the two men sit close to one another. The Captain was smiling more so than she had seen him do before. Pat grinned too, his legs hanging over the Captain's. Although she could not feel their presence physically, the joy that filled the room was unmistakable.

"Fanny - do you have something to say to the Captain?" She signified for Fanny to step over to the Cap. 

"Yes - I apologise for the offence that I caused you, Captain. I am just bitter." She admitted, her voice gentle. "My husband preferred the company of a man and - killed me as a result."

Alison looked at Mike, grinning. He shrugged his shoulders, completely unaware that two men were admitting their love for one another. She wiped her eyes, making Mike shrug further.

"What? Has someone else died?" 

"No." Alison laughed. "It's just - acceptance and love."

"Of course it is. You're so soppy." He said. 

"So are you."

"I did not at all mean to upset you." She said. "As we have said before, love is a subjective matter and we are in no control of those that we fall in love with."

"You can say that again." Thomas folded his arms.

"There is so much love in this room, it is sickening." Julian muttered, growling almost.

"Oh, now you are just being bitter." Alison said.

"Maybe so." He said. "Why does the Cap get all of the fun?"

"Perhaps because he fell in love with a Scoutmaster." Alison grinned.

Pat blinked, dumbfounded.

"Love?"

"Yes - that's what he told me." Alison said. She threw her hand to her mouth, hitting herself in the head. "Oh my God - I'm so sorry." She said. "I shouldn't have said that."

"You are so terrible at keeping secrets." Mike shook his head, laughing.

"It's not funny."

"'Is no funny, no." Robin chimed in. "'Is cute. Cap and Pat. Is fate, no?" 

Alison met the Captain's eyes, which were shining with tears as he stared at Pat with adoration.

"You really are going out of your way to 'out' things today, are you not?" The Captain blinked.

Pat shuffled towards the Cap, lifting his hand to his chin and placing his lips against his. Although they were both ghosts, and they could no longer feel things like they could in life, the Captain felt his entire body collapse into unstoppable shivers. The Captain had never kissed anyone in life or death before, but he felt the urge kick in automatically. He took hold of Pat's face, holding it within his hands and caressed his cheeks with his fingertips, melting into the kiss.

"Awh." Alison burst into tears.

"Whys is you cryin'?" Mary passed her.

"What's happening?" Mike quizzed.

"Oh, just - some ghostly love." She wiped her eyes.

"So - you did right?"

"She did." The ghosts said in unison.

"Apparently so." Alison grinned, cheekily.

"I love you too by the way, Cap." Pat said, running his fingers down the Captain's spine, making the taller man collapse into the hug again.

"You do?" He asked. He had never believed that anyone could love him, so to hear the words come from someone as pure as Pat - they meant a lot.

"Yes - even if you are a controlling so and so, sometimes."

"Alls the time, you mean." Mary passed comment.

"Hush." Kitty clapped, pulling Mary away.

"Yes - let them settle it." Fanny said. "Lovers must have time together."

"Yes - quite." The Captain agreed, blushing at the realisation that all of the ghosts were present. "And I would quite like to make a public announcement." He said. "If you do not mind."

"You will anyway." Thomas said, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, come off it, Thomas."

"He's just bitter."

"Right." The Captain took a step up to stand in front of everyone in the room. He looked at Pat, who gave him a small nod and reassuring smile. "Here goes." He took a deep breath in. "I - I am a homosexual."

Alison smiled, her cheeks aching from pride.

"We are all so proud of you." She said. "This is such a big - thank you for trusting us."

"Yes - we are so proud of you." Julian held out his hand. "Congratulations."

"Thank you."

"Does this mean we now have to put up with two couples in Button House?" Thomas whined.

"Bitter."

***


End file.
